Nets Considering Jason Collins
SUNDAY, 10:54am: With the rumor that the Clippers will be signing Glen Davis when he clears waivers later today, this makes it more likely that Collins will sign with the Nets. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles (Twitter Link) has heard that Collins and the team have a meeting scheduled for this afternoon.
FRIDAY, 4:40pm: The Nets will wait to see if they can sign Glen Davis, for whom they appear to be competing against the Clippers, before further investigating the idea of signing Collins, write Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.
THURSDAY, 6:00pm: The Nets are looking at Collins but also have interest in Ivan Johnson and other bigs, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.
5:01pm: The Nets worked out Jason Collins this week in Los Angeles and are giving strong consideration to signing him to a 10-day deal, according to Ohm Youngmisuk and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. A deal would make Collins the NBA’s first openly gay player.
Sources with knowledge of the situation say the Nets, after letting today’s trade deadline pass without a deal for Lakers big man Jordan Hill, are weighing the addition of another big man and have identified Collins as a prime candidate. Collins last stepped on an NBA court almost a year ago as a member of the Wizards.
On a conference call this afternoon, Nets GM Billy King acknowledged that he’ll be looking to add a big man via free agency, tweets Rod Boone of Newsday. He mentioned that the club has guys on the radar in the D-League and elsewhere.
Collins’ name resurfaced in the media this month when NFL draft prospect Michael Sam came out of the closet, putting him in contention to be the first openly gay active athlete in one of North America’s big four leagues. If Collins puts pen to paper with Brooklyn, he’ll take ownership of that title.
The Nets and Pistons were among the clubs giving Collins consideration over the summer but neither team would up signing him.
Magic Waive Glen Davis In Buyout Arrangement
SUNDAY, 10:37am: Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter Link) has heard that the Nets have been told that Davis will sign with the Clippers once he clears waivers at 5 p.m. today.
SATURDAY, 1:58pm: The Nets and Clippers remain the frontrunners to sign Davis, but the Heat might be interested in him as well, says Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein also hears that all of the teams with rumored interest in Big Baby expect him to make a decision on where to sign before the end of the weekend (Twitter links).
FRIDAY, 7:05pm: You can add the Bulls to the list of teams that may be interested in Davis, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter Link).
6:20pm: According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter Link), the Magic will not be using the stretch provision on Davis, and will take the full hit on his $6.6MM salary during the 2014/2015 season. Kyler also tweeted that the team had told Davis of their intention to waive him and buy out his contract last weekend.
1:51pm: Kevin Garnett is recruiting Davis as part of a hard push from the Nets to convince him to sign with Brooklyn, Wojnarowski tweets.
1:45pm: The Magic have officially announced that they’ve come to a buyout arrangment and waived Davis. It’s unclear how much of his salary Davis is relinquishing.
1:04pm: The team has yet to make an official announcement, but the release of Davis has been finalized, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
12:43pm: There’s a sense around the league that Davis and Rivers already have what amounts to an agreement for Big Baby to join the Clippers once he clears waivers, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The Magic are expected to officially release Davis this afternoon, tweets Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
THURSDAY, 9:43pm: Along with the Clippers, the Heat, Spurs, Nets, and Warriors are expressing interest in Big Baby, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
6:58pm: The Magic and Glen Davis have reached agreement on a buyout, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The buyout should be official tomorrow morning.
Orlando was dangling the big man at the deadline but they were unable to find a taker. Davis was due the remainder of his $6.4MM salary this season and $6.6MM in 2014/15. The 28-year-old is coming off of a year in which he averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG with a 15.0 PER in an injury-shortened season. So far in 2013/14, Davis has been bitten by the injury bug once again. He’s putting up 12.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 30.1 minutes per contest this season.
The Clippers figure to be a strong frontrunner for Davis now that he’s available, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Los Angeles makes a lot of sense for Davis who has a relationship with Doc Rivers and presumably would like to join a contender. For Orlando, the buyout should open up playing time for Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn as they look to the future.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Davis, Collins, ‘Melo
Gerald Wallace has never been shy about voicing his opinions. He recently suggested to reporters, including Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, that the trade deadline does not serve the same purpose that it used to:
“Now I don’t think it’s about teams trying to get better, or teams making trades to try and improve. Now it’s about teams trying to get rid of guys to get under the salary cap, or get under the luxury tax. It’s a different situation as trades go nowadays. Teams are all looking to save as much money as possible now.”
Let’s look at the latest from the Atlantic:
- The Raptors wouldn’t be afraid to add a player who was waived in a buyout deal, but it would have to be the “right guy,” tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The team currently rosters the league maximum 15 players, so they would need to release someone in order for anything to happen.
- Glen Davis thought he was heading to the Clippers, but Kevin Garnett‘s effort to recruit the former LSU star to the Nets has him reconsidering his options, according to Kyler (Twitter links).
- The Nets locker room would welcome the openly gay Jason Collins, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. However, Bondy notes that the team would prefer to land Davis.
- Carmelo Anthony wasn’t thrilled the Knicks stood pat at the deadline, but he realizes front office decisions are out of his hands, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines what a buyout deal would mean for Metta World Peace, Beno Udrih, and the Knicks. Earlier today, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News said each of the two players was close to reaching an agreement to part ways with New York.
Odds & Ends: Durant, Brooks, Nuggets
With tax season approaching, Thunder star Kevin Durant is looking to get his house in order. Durant is suing his former accountant for $600K over what he says were mistakes on his previous taxes, according to the Associated Press. More from around the Association..
- Aaron Brooks could have blocked the trade sending him from the Rockets to the Nuggets but he had a change of heart late in the game, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26. “I changed my mind after talking to [Denver exec] Jared Jeffries, the (Nuggets) GM and the coach,” said the guard. Brooks also says that the need for him to play in the final year of his deal motivated him to say yes, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Nuggets GM Tim Connelly offered a very rational take of today’s deal to acquire Jan Vesely from the Wizards. “It’s not often you get a chance to get a 30-game look at the sixth pick in the draft from a couple years ago,” said the GM, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
- Center Hamed Haddadi inked a deal in Iran after finishing his season in China, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- Former Nets guard Tyshawn Taylor has signed in Puerto Rico, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Taylor was traded to the Pelicans earlier this year but was promptly cut loose.
- The Pelicans‘ inability to get back into the first-round of the 2014 draft at the deadline was disappointing, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune.
Wolves Interested In Jarrett Jack
1:58pm: The Minnesota deal doesn’t appear to be happening, Amick tweets.
1:54pm: It sounds like the Wolves and Cavs haven’t been able to agree on a deal involving Jack, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com. It’s unknown if the Cavs have other discussions going at this time.
1:14pm: A Jack-for-Barea deal is “not likely,” a source tells Spears (on Twitter).
1:09pm: A source confirmed to the Plain Dealer (via Twitter) that the Wolves and Cavs have discussed a deal with Jack and J.J. Barea, but Jack having two years left versus the one on Barea’s deal has proven to be problematic.
1:06pm: The best chance the Cavs had of moving Jack was to Kings for Jason Thompson, but Cleveland balked at taking back salary, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
12:02pm: The Timberwolves, falling short on getting Andre Miller, are reaching out to Cavs to try and get Jack, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.
11:59am: The previously reported Jack-for-Thompson deal is on life support, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. The initial report indicated that the Cavs wanted a third team to send Thompson to, and apparently they’re finding that extraordinarily difficult. Putting all the pieces together, it sounds like Jack is staying put.
11:31am: With less than three hours from the deadline, a deal involving Jack seems considerably less likely, sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
7:58am: The Cavs probably won’t end up dealing Jack, a source tells the Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 10:59pm: The Cavs are unlikely to send Jack to Sacramento unless they find a third team to take the Kings’ Jason Thompson, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein, putting Cleveland in an all too familiar scenario. A deal that would have had Jack leaving Cleveland stalled earlier this week when the Cavs couldn’t find a destination for Jason Terry. (Twitter links)
3:17pm: The Nets are hesitant to take on Jack because of his lengthy deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who says it’s unlikely that the Cavs and Nets would pull off a trade.
11:19am: The Cavs and Kings have spoken about including Jason Thompson or Marcus Thornton in a Jack deal, reports Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
10:56am: The talks involving the Nets and Cavs are “not on the front burner,” according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald (Sulia link).
9:59am: The Wizards are looking for a backup point guard, but they’re not in on talks for Jack, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
TUESDAY, 8:59am: The Kings are also in on the Jack talks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear if they’re competing with the Nets for the guard’s services, or if they’re willing to absorb Terry in a deal that sends Jack to Brooklyn.
MONDAY, 4:38pm: The Nets are looking to replenish their draft-pick stock in the swap, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
3:44pm: The Cavs and Nets have indeed engaged in discussions about a trade involving Jack and Terry, report Youngmisuk and ESPN.com colleague Marc Stein. The Cavs would prefer to find a third team to take on Terry, according to the report.
2:23pm: The Nets are eyeing guard Jarrett Jack, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com, who hears that there’s a chance Brooklyn swaps Jason Terry for Jack. It’s unclear how strong the odds are of that, or if the Cavs are interested in Terry.
Jack is in the first season of a four-year, $25.2MM contract that pays him $6.3MM each season, while Terry will make about $5.625MM this year and slightly more than $5.85MM next season in the final year of his deal. The difference between their salaries would be compounded for the Nets, who are well into the tax. New Cavs GM David Griffin would be parting with one of predecessor Chris Grant‘s key offseason additions if Cleveland surrenders Jack, who hasn’t had the same impact for the Cavs as he had last year with Golden State.
Jack, 30, is shooting a career-worst 39.7% this season, and his 8.5 points per game is his lowest scoring average since he was a rookie. Terry, whom the Nets acquired from the Celtics in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce blockbuster, is plumbing even farther depths. The 36-year-old is posting new lows in scoring, rebounding, assists, field goal percentage and minutes. If Jack is dealt to Brooklyn, it’ll be his seventh team in nine NBA seasons.
Nets, Pelicans Slow Pursuit Of Jordan Hill
1:51pm: Discussions surrounding Hill are either “dying or dead,” tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
1:01pm: Brooklyn has cooled on Hill because the Lakers were seeking a “decent” second-round pick for him, and because bonuses in his contract could have added another $1MM to the Nets’ already astronomical tax bill, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
12:47pm: The Nets appear ready to pass on Hill, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.
11:15am: The Lakers want a pick for Hill but, meanwhile, the Nets want a pick from the Lakers for saving them $7MM+, according to Stein (via Twitter).
9:37am: New Orleans is backing off its pursuit of Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link). That would appear to make the Nets the leading contender for him.
7:40am: The Lakers are looking for a second-rounder in return for Hill, Stein tweets. Atlanta’s interest is not as strong as that of the Nets and Pelicans, Stein adds in a second tweet.
THURSDAY, 7:14am: The Nets and Pelicans appear to be in the lead for Hill, according to Shelburne (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 10:12pm: There is a strong chance that Hill is moved, per Shelburne, who adds that the Lakers may want more than just cap relief now that they have (at least) the Nets, Bobcats and Pelicans involved. In light of the Steve Blake deal, moving Hill and Kaman would allow the Lakers to hang onto Gasol and his Bird Rights (Twitter links here). Ken Berger tweets that both New Orleans and the Nets hope to use their disabled player exceptions on Hill.
8:44pm: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adds the Hawks to the mix of teams in on Hill as well as center Chris Kaman, with the deals being discussed in parallel (Twitter links).
5:29pm: Sean Deveney of Sporting News contests the report that the Suns are no longer a player for Hill (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Eric Pincus from the L.A. Times reminds us that the Lakers wouldn’t move Hill if they had any hope or desire to re-sign him. Hill doesn’t have the stamina for a big minute role, per Pincus, and would therefore be better suited for an energy role off the bench (Twitter links here).
3:59pm: The Suns are no longer in talks for Hill, Wojnarowski tweets.
3:42pm: Stein casts it as a two-team race between the Cavs and Nets for Hill (Twitter link).
1:44pm: The Suns, as well as the Mavs, have engaged the Lakers in talks about Hill, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
1:12pm: It’s unlikely the Nets will acquire Hill, tweets Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck
1:00pm: The Suns may get involved as a suitor for Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 12:43pm: The Nets have decided they’d like to go ahead and take Hill if the Lakers are willing to send him their way, but L.A. is talking to multiple teams about the power forward, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
TUESDAY, 10:30pm: Brooklyn values Hill as being worth a “second round pick and a trade exception,” according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
3:40pm: The Nets’ discussions with the Kings wouldn’t preclude the team from trading for Hill, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That suggests the deal is a greater possibility than Medina’s source indicated.
TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The deal will probably not happen, a source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who hears the Nets have cold feet about the hefty tax penalties that acquiring Hill without giving up a player would entail.
MONDAY, 10:31pm: It’s doubtful that the big man will want to re-sign with the Lakers if Mike D’Antoni is still the coach, sources tell Wojnarowski.
3:59pm: The Lakers and Nets have spoken about a deal that would send Jordan Hill to the Nets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Brooklyn would absorb Hill’s $3.5MM salary into its $5.15MM disabled player exception granted in compensation for Brook Lopez‘s injury, Wojnarowski notes. It’s unclear precisely what the Lakers would get in return. Meanwhile, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that the talks are very preliminary.
Hill has been indentified as one of the Lakers’ prime trade candidates in the lead-up to the February 20th deadline, along with Steve Blake, Chris Kaman, and, of course, Pau Gasol. The former lottery pick obviously doesn’t offer the same kind of frontcourt boost that Gasol would, but he’ll cost a lot less in terms of both the trade and salary. Any team acquiring Hill would be on the hook for what remains on his $3.5MM salary for 2013/14. He’ll be eligible for free agency in the summer.
Unfortunately for the Nets, their tax situation means that acquiring Hill would cost them a small fortune – $17MM by the estimation of Wojnarowski (link). Even though the deadline is in a few days, the Nets have until March 10th to use their DPE.
Hill, 26, is averaging a career-highs in points (8.5 PPG) and rebounds (7.0 RPG) in 19.5 minutes per contest.
Rockets Begin Asik Talks Again, Sixers In Mix
THURSDAY, 11:05am: The Rockets were strongly leaning toward keeping Asik as of last night, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who notes that Morey is nonetheless usually itchy to make a deal on deadline day (Twitter links).
WEDNESDAY, 7:40am: Sam Amick of USA Today on Tuesday night raised the notion of the Bucks as a dark horse in the race for Asik, but this morning he hears there have been no recent talks between Houston and Milwaukee (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 4:38pm: The Sixers have been Asik’s most likely destination for months, according to Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders, who notes Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie’s connection to the big man. Hinkie was with the Rockets when they signed Asik last year (Twitter links).
1:34pm: Hours after a report indicated all was quiet surrounding Omer Asik, the Rockets have picked up trade talks for the center once more, with the Sixers emerging as a possible partner, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Philadelphia was one of the teams in heavy pursuit of Asik in December, when the Rockets were aggressively trying to pull off a trade.
The Raptors and Nets have no interest in Asik, given his nearly $15MM balloon payment for next season. The Hawks are interested, but not at the price point the Rockets have set. Houston is looking for a first-round pick in return, Berger writes.
The Rockets are interested in Spencer Hawes, but Philadelphia is looking to acquire first-rounders, not unload them, as Berger notes. The Sixers were also hesitant to take on Asik’s payment for next season when the teams spoke in December, and that reluctance could be exacerbated now, as Berger explains. The actual payout to Asik is smaller than his cap hit this season, so the more paychecks a team can issue to him this year, the less that team will feel the impact of his bloated paychecks for 2014/15. I examined the issue in depth earlier this season.
Kings Trade Thornton To Nets For Terry, Evans
The Kings and Nets have announced the first trade of the 2014 deadline season, a deal to send Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans. David Aldridge of TNT first reported the agreement, via Twitter. The deal came together over the last 24 hours or so, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports the first to report that negotiations had become serious. No picks or cash are involved in the transaction, according to Aldridge, though Wojnarowski reported that the teams were discussing making a conditional pick that would go to the Nets a part of the trade. Both teams had room beneath the 15-man roster limit, so no one will have to be released before the trade can become official.
The Nets take on less than $1MM in extra salary as a part of the trade, but that’s compounded because they’re deep into tax territory. The Nets are also willing to take back Jordan Hill from the Lakers, and that would mean the Nets would be in line for a luxury tax payment of about $105MM, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link), and that’s money that would be distributed to non-taxpayers at season’s end. Together with Brooklyn’s roughly $100MM payroll, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov appears willing to spend more than $200MM on this year’s team.
Both teams were also in talks with the Cavs about Jarrett Jack, but it appears they instead decided to make a trade of their own. All three players are on guaranteed deals that run through 2014/15. Thornton, the highest-paid player in the deal, earns $8MM this year and is set to receive close to $8.6MM next season. Terry makes about $5.6MM this season and $5.85MM in 2014/15. Evans will get roughly $1.7MM this year and $1.8MM next season.
The Kings have shown eagerness this season to trade Thornton, their leading scorer from 2011/12. He was involved in multiple reported proposals, including ones to the Cavs and Nuggets. He’s averaging just 8.3 points in 24.4 minutes per game this season, but that includes a 42-point outburst against the Pacers on January 24th.
“Marcus is a proven scorer in this league,” Nets GM Billy King said of the 26-year-old Thornton, in the team’s release. “He is a young talent who will help us in the backcourt.”
Terry, 36, has slumped after signing a three-year contract in 2012 with the Celtics, who traded him to the Nets in the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster this past summer. He’s averaging 4.5 PPG and 16.3 MPG this season, both career lows. Evans, long one of the best per-minute rebounders in the league, is excelling in that category again this season, grabbing 13.4 boards every 36 minutes. He’s nonetheless seen a more than 50% cut in playing time this year for Brooklyn, thanks in part to the presence of Garnett.
“Adding Jason and Reggie provides our roster with toughness and veteran leadership that will help this team continue to grow,” Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said, in Sacramento’s press release. “They bring a wealth of NBA experience to Sacramento that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on our younger players. We also thank Marcus for his contributions and wish him great success going forward.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kings, Nets Near Deal For Thornton, Terry, Evans
12:46pm: The draft compensation being discussed is a future conditional pick to the Nets, Wojnarowski writes.
12:32pm: The teams are indeed discussing draft picks, and they’re haggling over that issue at current, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
11:45am: There are no picks or cash involved, Wojnarowski tweets.
11:44am: Berger seconds Lloyd’s report that the deal is close, and confirms Evans is still a part of the proposal (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 11:42am: A deal involving Terry and Thornton is nearing completion, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd doesn’t mention Evans, but I presume he remains in the talks.
TUESDAY, 10:44pm: Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report echoes (via Twitter) what Wojnarowski reported earlier, hearing that talks are “heating up” between the two sides, and a deal could happen “soon.”
9:08pm: Sacramento’s discussion with Brooklyn about a move that would see the Kings acquire Terry and Evans in exchange for Thornton have progressed to a “serious stage,” a league source tells Wojnarowski. The Kings are also exploring potential options for Jimmer Fredette, hears Wojnarowski.
2:20pm: The Kings and Nets are discussing a deal that would send Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Reggie Evans and Jason Terry, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The talks are concurrent with other conversations the teams are having with several other potential partners, Wojnarowski notes via Twitter. Both teams have been talking to the Cavs about Jarrett Jack.
Multiple reports suggest Sacramento is anxious to trade Thornton, and he’s one of the players the Kings have talked about including in a deal for Jack. Terry has also been linked to Cleveland, but it appears the Cavs have no interest in him. Evans is a newcomer to the chatter.
The Nets would absorb less than $1MM in extra salary via the deal, but that figure would be multiplied, since Brooklyn is deep into the tax. Just how much extra the Nets would have to pay won’t be entirely clear until the end of the season, but it’s likely that any extra money Brooklyn adds at this point will cost them about three or four times as much, because of the tax penalties.
All three are on deals that are fully guaranteed, without player or team options, through 2014/15. Thornton makes about $8MM this year and close to $8.6MM next season. Terry’s take is about $5.6MM this season and $5.85MM in 2014/15. Evans makes roughly $1.7MM this year and $1.8MM next season.
Mannix’s Latest: Celtics, Pelicans, Afflalo
Every Celtics player, including Rajon Rondo, is available for the right price, Chris Mannix of SI.com reports in a pair of tweets. Still, some rival executives believe Boston is overvaluing Brandon Bass and Jeff Green, for whom Danny Ainge is demanding first-round picks, as Mannix writes in a full piece. Mannix also notes that the Celtics would prefer to keep Kris Humphries through the deadline. There’s plenty more in Mannix’s dispatch covering several of the league’s most active teams in advance of Thursday’s deadline, so let’s dive in:
- The Pelicans are making a strong effort to trade either Eric Gordon or Tyreke Evans, Mannix hears, contradicting what coach Monty Williams told reporters earlier this week.
- Mannix adds Arron Afflalo to the list of players the Bobcats are eyeing. Charlotte is apparently willing to absorb a player-friendly contract as part of a deal that brings in an impact player, Mannix writes.
- The Pistons like Evan Turner, and they may be willing to offer the Sixers the first-round draft pick they’re looking for, according to Mannix. Still, it will take “an overwhelming offer” to pry Greg Monroe from Detroit, which would like to trade Josh Smith instead but is finding no takers.
- Andre Miller is “gone one way or another,” but that may be the only trade Denver makes, in spite of a heavy volume of calls coming in from other teams, Mannix writes. The Nuggets don’t appear inclined to auction off Kenneth Faried, according to Mannix. His report contrasts with what teams are telling Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who hears that anyone outside of Ty Lawson is available (Twitter link).
- Rival teams are interested in Bojan Bogdanovic, but the Nets are unwilling to trade the rights to the former second-round pick who’s playing in Turkey.
- Kirk Hinrich has been drawing more interest than Mike Dunleavy, but executives around the league believe the Bulls probably won’t deal Hinrich and risk deepening the divide between Tom Thibodeau and the front office. Dunleavy is similarly off the table.
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has been “determined” to find another star to go along with Kyrie Irving, but the league appears to have lukewarm feelings about the young players on the Cavs, according to Mannix, which would appear to make a blockbuster unlikely.
- There’s been friction between Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala, Mannix hears, but rival executives nonetheless believe it will take a massive offer to acquire Barnes, Mannix notes, echoing what Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob has said.